Travel Guide: Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza is a UNESCO world heritage site since 1988 and one of the new seven wonders of the world. If you’re in the Yucatan and have a full day to spare, I recommend making the trip! This citadel was probably one of the largest and most powerful in the Mayan Kingdom and contains many temples, ball courts, platforms and civic buildings.

NEED TO KNOW

• The entrance fee is 481 pesos ( $25/£20).  You will have to pay for parking if you visit in your own rental car.
• If you rent a car, you will also have to pay tolls on the drive there and back so make sure to have cash.
• The site is open from 8 am – 5 pm. 
• Allow for about 1-1.5 hours to see the site.
• For the latest information on rules and regulations check the official Chichen Itza website here.

There are several tour companies that do tours, but we decided to rent a car and do our own tour so we can make stops along the way. Note: If you rent a car, the advertised price online (usually super low) does not include additional per day insurance fees which are usually 2-3x the price shown online. I’m glad we decided to rent a car and do it ourselves so that we could go at our own pace. If you’re interested in doing it yourself, below is a one day itinerary.

ONE DAY ITINERARY

1. Leave Playa Del Carmen around 10:30am. Chichen Itza is best right at 8am or later like 2 or 3 pm to avoid the crowds and the heat. We decided to go later and are glad we did.
2. Stop at Hacienda San Lorenzo Oxman which is a hacienda with a pool and gorgeous cenote. The charge a fee to enter but it can be credited towards food + drinks. I recommend doing the credit instead of paying outright, but would recommend using it for drinks around the pool. The food wasn’t great – save your appetite for dinner on the way home. We spent about 1-1.5 hours here. *One tip for the cenote: if you put the address into google maps, the last left turn is wrong. You should turn left at the street right before where google maps tells you to turn left. Much smoother ride.
3. Leave the cenote and head to Chichen Itza (~30-45 min drive). Pay the entrance fee and you can enter and check it all out yourself. We stayed about 1-1.5 hours here as well.
4. After Chichen Itza, you’ll make your way home. Stop for dinner at Yakunaj Cocina Mexicana in Vallodolid (~30-45min from Chichen Itza, but on the route home). It’s small and looks like it’s someones house but the food was so good! Get the guacamole, tuna tartare, shrimp tacos, and fish tacos.
5. Head home!

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Let me know if you have any questions in the comments or DM me on IG. Enjoy!